Fuel oil engine



March 22, 1949.

H. A. W. PETERSEN FUEL OIL ENGINE Filed June 7. '194e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f@ m a e W kw. w

March 22, 1949. H, A, w, PETERSEN- 2,465,116

'FUEL OIL ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7,' 1946 containing the engine crankshaft I2.

Patented Mar. 22, 1949 l.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUEL on. ENGINE Hermien A. w. Petersen, Fm Myers, Ela. Application June 7, 1946, serial Nq. 675,099

' 2 Claims. 1

-.'Ihisinvention relates to fuel oil engines, and more particularly to engines of the type wherein the fuel mixture is ignited by temperatures and pressures developed upon compression of the fuel. .A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved engine of the Diesel type but which is very simple in construction, light in weight and economical in fuel consumption. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved internal combustion engine of the type wherein the fuel mixture is exploded by the highv temperature resulting from compression thereof, said engine being less complicated than conventional Diesel type engines, being very inexpensive to manufacture, requiring less power for starting, and being operable with very cheap grades of fuel.

A still further object of the invention 1s to provide an improved internal combustion engine of the Diesel type which operates at a relatively low cylinder pressure, is very light in weight compared to conventional engines of the same horsepower rating and which is very inexpensive to operate and maintain in running order.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompany lngl drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the cylinder block of an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail elevational view, partly in 'cross-section, of the upper portion of the piston rod and the ignition cylinder structure cooperating therewith, as employed in the engine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail-view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, I I designates the main engine housing of' an internal combustion engine according to this invention, said housing Mounted on and secured to main housing II is a cylinder block I3 formed with a cylinder I4. Slidably mounted in cylinder I4 for vertical reciprocation therein is a piston I5.

Piston VI5* is axially secured to a vertical shaft member I6. Said piston is formed at its under portion with a cavity I1 and a'central bore I8 which terminates at an annular shoulder I9. be admitted into the preheating space 36. Oppo-Y (Cl. 12S-143) Engaging shoulder I 9 is an annular flange 2li carried by shaftmember I6 and engagedin a countersunk annular recess in the upper face of piston I5 is a correspondingly formed annular rib 2| carried by shaft member I6, whereby said shaft member is rigidly secured to piston I 5. The lower portion of shaft member I6 passes through a stationary guide member 22 which is formed with an upper sleeve portion 23 through which shaft member I6 slidably passes and which is adapted to be slidably received in bore I8 when the piston I5 is ina lowered position. The lower portion of guide member 22 is formed with a guide bore 24 in which reciprocates a cross head member 25 carried by the bottom end vof shaft member I6, said cross head .nember 25 being connected to crank shaft I2 by a conventional connecting rod 26.

The intermediate portion of guide member 22 forms a horizontal partition between the crank case and the cylinder I4. The lower portion of shaft member I6 is substantially sealed with respect to guide member 22 by suitable sealing rings 22. This prevents an undesired mixture of lubrieating oil from the crank case and fuel from being formed in cylinder I4 and being burned therein. This'also makes it unnecessary to have a separate crank case for each cylinder, where multiple cylinder units are employed, and also makes it unnecessary to make the crank case air-tight. v

The upper portion of cylinder block I 3 is formed with an auxiliary axial cylinderAZI in which reciprocates the top end of shaft I6. Cylinder 21 is provided with a top wall 28 formed with an axial valve seat 29 on which is positioned a valve member 36. Valve member 30 is slidably positioned for vertical reciprocation in a bushing member 3l which is threadedly secured to the top portion of an axial upwardly projecting hollow inner member 32 formed on cylinder block I3. Valve member 30 is biased to a seated position by a coil spring 33 which bears between the top of valve member 30 and an adjustable screw plug 34 threaded into the top portion of bushing member 3|, whereby the pressure of spring 33 may be adjusted to a desired value. Encasing the upper portion of cylinder block I3 is an outer housing 35, defining a fuel preheating jacket 36, adjacent the top portion of the block. A removable cap 31 is threaded onto the top end of outer housing 35 to provide access to adjustable plug 34.

Formed in the lower wall of pre-heating housing 35 is a fuel inlet opening 33 whereby fuel may communicating with the space in cylinder I4' subadjacent to cavity l1 in the piston I5.

Formed in block I3 is a vertically extending fuel mixture passage 45 which connects passage 44 to the upper space in cylinder I4, the inlet port `to said upper space being located just above the top face of piston I5 when the piston is at the lowest portion of its stroke. Opposite said inlet port is an exhaust port 48 for exhausting spent gaseous products of combustion from cylinder I4. Formed on the top face of the piston I5 adjacent the fuel entry port is a baille member 41 for deilecting the incoming fuel mixture upwardly in the cylinder I4.

The upper portion of shaft member I6 is formed with an axial bore 48 communicating at its lower end by a transverse bore 45 with the space in bore I8 immediately subadjacent to flange 20. The lower end portion of bore 48 is formed with a conical seat 50 on which is positioned a spring-biased ball valve 5| forming a check valve restricting passage of fuel through bore 48 to' an upward direction. The top end of bore 48 terminates in a transverse bore 52' communicating with an annular groove 53 formed in the upper end portion of shaft member I8. Formed in the inner wall of cylinder 21 at its lower portion are a plurality of vertical grooves 54 which provide communication between annular groove 53 and the upper space in cylinder 21. vWhen shaft member I8 moves downwardly fuel mixture which is trapped in bore I8 by the cooperation of the downwardly moving piston and the sleeve portion 23 is forced upwardly through shaft bore 48 into groove 53 from whence it passes upwardly through vertical grooves 54 into the upper space in cylinder 21.

Cylinder 21 is connected to member 32 by a plurality of radial supporting elements 55 which thus provide an outer space 56 around cylinder 21 which is in communication with the top end of cylinder I4. Bushing member 3I is formed at its lower end with spaced ngers 51 between which space 56 is in communication with valve member 3D. When the fuel charge in cylinder 21 is exploded by the compression thereof as the shaft member I6 moves to its upper positon, valve member 30 is opened by the pressure developed by the exploding fuel mixture and said fuel mixture in a burning condition passes between fingers 51 and downwardly through space 56 into cylinder I4 where it ignites the main fuel charge. The ignition of said main fuel charge in cylinder I4 produces the power stroke of the engine.

Reviewing the operation of the engine, fuel mixture is admitted into cylinder I4 and trapped fuel mixture is pumped into cylinder 21, respon# sive to the movement of piston I5 to its bottom position at the end of the power stroke. As the crankshaft I2 turns due to the inertia of its ilywheel and its other parts, piston I5 moves upwardly, carrying with it the auxiliary piston element defined by the top end of shaft member I6. The fuel mixture in cylinder 21 is exploded by the pressure exerted thereon by shaft member I6 and the pressure of the exploded gases raises valve member 30, allowing the burning gases to pass 4 downwardly through space Il into cylinder I4. Said burning gases ignite the main charge of fuel mixture, which by this time is under moderate pressure in the upper portion of cylinder I4. By ignition and explosion of the main charge a power stroke is imparted to the crankshaft b! piston l5 and the piston descends to its bottom position, during which time a subsequent charge of fuel mixture for delivery to the ignition cylinder 21 is trapped in bore I8. The spent gases are exhausted through opening 48 as the piston I5 moves to its lowermost position.

The ignition timing may be advanced or re-` tarded as desired by s uitably adjusting plug 84 to regulate the pressure on spring 3l.

A space 58 is provided in the upper portion oi' cylinder block I3 which may be employed as a water jacket.

The action of the top end of the shaft member- I8 as it moves downwardly in cylinder 21 during the power stroke and the rapid closing of valve member 30 create a partial vacuum in the cylinder 21, lowering the temperature of the cylinder 21 and thus helping to keep the cylinder cool. The partial vacuum thus created also promotes the entry of fuel mixture into the bore of cylinder 21 as the shaft member I8 reaches its bottom position.

The clearance space in cylinder 21 is much smaller than the clearance space in cylinder I4 for piston l5 and is of such relative magnitude that the fuel mixture compression in cylinder I4 is quite moderate as compared with the compression in cylinder 21. The construction of the cylinder block I3 may therefore be relatively light.

as compared with the construction in cylinder blocks employing high compression in the main cylinder.

While a certain specific embodiment of an internal combustion engine employing fuel compression ignitionmeans has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it. is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine, comprising a main cylinder having a flrst head at one end and an exhaust port and inlet port at a point remote from the first head, a second head covering the opposite end of the cylinder, a guide sleeve carried by the second head and extending axially within the main cylinder, a main piston mounted within the main cylinder and provided ln its end next to the second head with a recess passing through such end and having an axial bore leading into the closed end of the recess and an axial opening at one end of the axial bore, the guide sleeve entering the axial bore upon the power stroke of the piston and leaving such bore upon the 'compression stroke, a shaft slidable withinthe guide sleeve and extending through the bore and opening, said shaft extending beyond the second head and beyond the head of the main piston and rigidly secured to the main piston to provide a small auxiliary piston, said auxiliary piston having a longitudinal internal bore including a valve seat, said internal bore extending at one end through the side of the shaft and communicating with the bore of the piston, said auxiliary piston having an annular groove near its free end in communication with the opposite end of the internal bore, a housing sleeve carried by the first head of the main cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder within the housing sleeve in spaced concentric relation thereto for providing a passage leading into the interior of the housing sleeve -and the main cylinder, the auxiliary cylinder receiving the auxiliary piston and provided near its open end with internal longitudinal grooves, the auxiliary cylinder being provided in its closed end with an opening forming a valve seat and leading into the passage a spring pressed Valve mounted upon the valve seat, a second spring pressed valve mounted upon the valve seat of the internal bore, a fuel supply device leading into the inner end of the main cylinder between the main piston and second head, a crank shaft, and a connecting rod zbetween the crank shaft and the end of the reciprocatory shaft, the inlet port leading into the inner end of the main cylinder between the piston and the second head.

2. An internal combustion engine, comprising a main cylinder having a first head at one end and an exhaust port and inlet port at a point remote from the rst head, a second head covering the opposite end of the main cylinder, a guide sleeve carried by the second head and extending axially within the main cylinder, a main piston mounted within the main cylinder and provided in its end next to the second head with a. recess passing through such end and having an axial bore leading into the closed end of the recess and an axial opening at one end of the axial bore, the guide sleeve entering the axial bore upon the power stroke of the piston and leaving it upon the compression stroke, a shaft 'slldable within theguide sleeve and provided with packing engaging the guide sleeve and extending through the borev and opening and rigidly secured to the main piston, said shaft extending beyond the-second head and beyond the head of the 40 1,053,013

main piston to provide a small auxiliary piston, the small auxiliary piston having a longitudinal internal bore including a valve seat, a spring pressed valve engaging the valve seat, said internal bore extending at one end through the side of the shaft and communicating with the bore of the piston, said auxiliary piston having an annular groove near its free end in communication with the opposite end of the internal bore, a housing sleeve carried by the rst head of the main cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder within the housing sleeve and forming therewith a passage leading to the interior of the housing sleeve and main cylinder, the auxiliary cylinder receiving the auxiliary piston and provided near its open end with internal longitudinal groove means, the auxiliary cylinder beingv provided in its closed end with an opening forming a valve seat, a spring pressed valve mounted upon the valve seat, the inlet port leading into the inner end of the main cylinder between the main piston and second head, a fuel supply device leading into the inner end o f the main cylinder between the main piston and second head, a preheating housing surrounding the upper end of the housing sleeve and having' a fuel inlet and outlet, a pipe connecting the outlet and the fuel supply device, a crank, and a connecting rod between the crank and the reciprocatory shaft.

HEINRICH A. W. PETERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '782,812 Arthur Feb. 21, 1905 973,651 Haberkorn Oct. 25, 1910 Cowles Feb. 11, 1913 

